BPSC Sociology Optional Syllabus

BPSC sociology optional is one choice of optional subjects out of 34 which a candidate can opt for. In the BPSC CCE Mains candidate has to write one optional subject. This one optional subject has been made qualifying which means a candidate has to score a minimum qualifying number to pass in it. Only when a candidate scores equal to or above the given qualifying mark his other papers will be checked. In this post BPSC Sociology Optional syllabus is given. Read it for a clear understanding of the BPSC Mains Sociology optional.

BPSC Sociology Optional Section- 1

General Sociology

1. Scientific Study of Social phenomena- Emergence of Sociology and its relationship with other disciplines, their scope and approaches. Science and Study of social behavior, the problems of objectivity, reliability and validity. Scientific methods and scientific language; their meaning, goals, types; elements and features. Research Design Techniques of data collection and analysis, Attitude measurements; problems and scales. Concept of social causation with special reference to R.M.Mac’ver.

2. Pioneering Contributions to Sociology- Theoretical beginnings- Positivism and evolutionism with reference to Comte, Spencer and Morgan; Historical Sociology contributions of Karl Mark, Maxweber and P.A. Sorokin; Functionalism; E. Durkheim, P.areto. Parsons and Merton, Conflict School; Gumplowicz Dahrenderf and Coser;
Recent approaches in Sociology, Micro Sociology, Macro Sociology, Middle Range theories, Neopostitvism, Exchange theories and Interactions Sociology.

3. Social Structure and Social Organçation; Concept and types approaches to Social Structure; Structural functionalist school, Structuralist school and Marxist School: Elements of Social Structure-Individual and society; social interaction; social groups, concept and types; concept of status and role, their determinants and types, dimensions of roles in simple and complex societies, role conflict; Social Network; Basic concepts and types, culture and personality, concepts of conformity and social control, agencies of social control; concept of Minority Groups, their relationship with majority; Secularism versus Integration.

4. Social Stratification and Mobility-Concept, consequences and types of stratification; inequality and stratification, Dimensions and bases of stratification; Theoretical approaches to the study of stratification, functionalist approach and conflict approach; Social Stratification and Social Mobility; Concept of Sankskritsation and Westernisation. Types of Mobility: inter generational mobility, vertical versus horizontal mobility, open and closed models of mobility.

5. Family marriage and Kinship-Structure, functions and types of family marriage and kinship; social change and change in age and sex roles; change in marriage, family and kinship; significance of family in industrial society.

6. Formal organisation-Elements of formal and informal structures and organisations, bureaucracy functions, dysfunctions and characteristics, bureaucracy and political development, political socialisation and political participation, modes of participation, democratic and authoritarian forms, voluntary organisations.

7. Economic System-Property concepts, social dimensions of division of labour; type of exchange, social aspects of pre- industrial and industrial economic systems; industrialisation and changes in the political, educational religious, familiar and stratification spheres; social determinants and consequences of economic development.

8. Political Systems-Concepts, elements and types of political systems: functions of a political system, institutions under the political system; political processes with reference to individuals, groups, political organisations, parties and other agencies. Concepts, bases and types of power, authority and legitimacy; Concept of Stateless societies; political socialisation versus political participation; properties of State. Power of elites, and masses in democracy and in totalitarian societies; political parties and voting, Leadership democratic order and democratic stability.

9. Educational Systems- Concepts and goals of education; Schools of philosophy;- Naturalism, Idealism and pragmatism, their bearing on education; importance of education in society, democracy, international understanding and nationalism. New trends in education; Role of various agencies-school home society state and religion in education and socialisation. Population Education- its concepts and components, Education as a medium of cultural reproduction, indoctrination, social stratification, mobility and modernisation.

10. Religion- The religious phenomenon; the concepts of sacred and protan, social functions and dysfunctions of religion, magic religion and science, social change and religious secularisation.

11. Social change and development- Factors of social change, economic, biological and technological; Theories of social change- evolutionary, functional and conflict; social change, modernisation and development; Democratisation equality and social justice; social reconstruction.

BPSC Sociology Optional Section 2

Society of India

1. Indian Society- Features of traditional Hindu Social Organisation, Socio-cultural dynamics through the ages, impact of Buddhism, Islam and West on Indian Society, factors in continuity and change.

2. Social Stratification- Caste system and its transformation, Economic Structural and Cultural view about Caste, origin of the Caste system, issues of inequality and social justice among Hindu and Non-Hindu castes, Caste mobility, Casteism, Backward caste versus Backward Classes, Scheduled Caste and untouchability, changes among Scheduled Castes, eradication of untouchability, industrial and agrarian class structures, rising trends in inter caste relations in Bihar under the impact of Mandal Commission and its reservation policy.

3. Family, Marriage and Kinship: Regional variation in Kinship system and its socio-cultural correlates, changing aspects of Kinship, The joint family system its structural and functional aspects, its changing form and disorganisation, Marriage among various ethnic groups, economic and Caste categories, its changing trend in future, impact of legislation and socioeconomic changes upon family and marriage, inter caste marriages-causes and consequences in Bihar inter generation gap and youth unrest, changing status of women, women and social development.

4. Economic System: Jajmani System and its bearing on the traditional society, Market economy and its social consequences, occupational diversification and social structure, professional Trade Unions, Social determinants and consequences of economic development, Economic inequalities, exploitation and corruption; causes of economic backwardness in Bihar, potentialities of economic growth in Bihar, Relationship between economic growth and social development with specific reference to Bihar.

5. Political System: Functioning of a democratic political system in a traditional society, political parties and their social composition, origin of political elites and their social orientation, decentralisation of power, political participation, voting pattern in Bihar, relevance of Caste, community and economic factor in voting behaviour in Bihar, its changing trends, Functions dysfunctions and characteristics of India Bureaucracy, Bureaucracy and political development in India, concept of mass society, Socio-political sources of mass movement in India.

6. Educational System: Education and society in the traditional and modern contexts, educational inequality and change, education and social mobility, educational problems of women, Backward Classes and the Scheduled Castes, causes of educational backwardness in Bihar, Functional and dysfunctional aspects of Mushroom growth of institutions in Bihar; Prospects and problems of higher education in Bihar, New educational Policies, Mass.

7. Religion: Demographic dimensions, geographical distribution and neighbourhood, living patterns of major religious categories; Inter-religious inter-actions and its manifestations in the problems of conversion Minority status, communications and secularism; impact of various religious Movement in India. (Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Brahmanism and Arya Samaj movement on caste system in India; westernisation and modernisation in Bihar; the cohesive and decisive factors, impact of growing religious and politics interrelationship of India’s social organisation.

8. Tribal societies: Major tribal communities in India, their distinctive features; tribe and case their acculturation and integration; problem of Bihar tribes (social, economic and Political), different approaches to tribal welfare, constitutional and governmental safeguards; tribal movements in India. The Tanabhagat movement, the Birsa movement and the Jharkhand movement, their significance in tribal development.

9. Rural social system and community development: Socio-cultural dimensions of the village community, traditional power structure, democratisation and leadership, poverty, indebtedness and bonded labour, social consequences of land reforms, community Development Programme and other planned development projects of Green Revolution, New strategies of rural development.

10. Urban Social Organisation: Continuity and change in the traditional causes of social organisation, namely Kinship, Caste and religion in the urban context, stratification and mobility in urban communities, ethnic diversity and community integration, urban neighbourhoods; rural urban differences in demographic and socio- cultural characteristics and their social consequences.

11. Population dynamics: Theories of population growth Malthusian, biological, demographic transition, optimum population socio-cultural aspects of population composition (sex, age, martial status), determinants of fertility, mortality and migration. Need of population policy in India; population explosion and other determinants factors; social psychological cultural and economic determinants behind population acceptance of Activate family planning practices in India. Family Planning Programmer through first to eighth five year plans, Go to Setting population education; concept, goals, aspects, agencies and techniques of population education.

12. Social Change and modernisation: Problems of role conflict youth unrest- inter-generational gap, changing status of women. Major sources of social change and of resistance to change, impact of west reform movements, social movements, industrialisation and urbanisation pressure groups, factors of planned change, five year plans legislative of executive measures; process of change sanskritsation, westernisation and modernisation means of modernisation man media and education, problems of change and modernisation, structural contradictions and break-downs. Current social evils-corruption and Nepotism Smuggling, Black Money.